Flight safety: Delhi airport operator DIAL serves notices to entities on 176 obstacles around airport

Delhi airport operator DIAL has served notices to address issues related to 176 obstacles including buildings, trees and light poles, around the aerodrome that could pose threat to flights landing and taking off from there.

Following a directive from the Delhi High Court, the notices have been issued to the "owners/ occupants" of the 176 obstacles, according to the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

The obstacles are buildings, trees, light poles, flood light, pylon, cell phone mast and metro electric traction overhead frame. The buildings include Ambience Mall, Gurugram and Jaypee Vasant Continental, New Delhi, as per a public notice issued by the DIAL.

In March, the DIAL told the Delhi High Court that there were 365 obstacles around the aviation hub that may pose a threat to aircraft safety. The DIAL operates the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

On July 30, the court directed aviation regulator DGCA to make available the list of all obstacles.

An obstacle survey conducted by the DIAL found that "various structures have been identified as infringing the height restrictions provided" in the Civil Aviation (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) rules.

In a statement, a DIAL spokesperson said it has been working continuously to ensure flight safety by protecting obstacle limitation surfaces around the airport.

"Based on the findings of the obstacle survey, the DIAL has been pro-actively approaching owners/ occupants of buildings, cell phone mast and trees.

"Due to the persistent follow up by the DIAL, more than 50 obstacles have been removed so far," he said.

Further, the spokesperson said the DIAL has displaced threshold to safeguard flight safety for some of the obstacles which are also notified.

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The court is hearing a petition filed by Kerala-based lawyer Yashwanth Shenoy who had said that Aerocity, which has several high rise hotels, near the international airport was a major threat to security and safety of the aircraft flying over it.

The next hearing of the matter is on September 17, an official aware about the developments said.

Notices have been issued to entities with respect to 176 obstacles only since discussions are going on regarding addressing the issues with other entities, the official said.

Delhi airport, which has three operational runways, is the busiest airport in the country. The aerodrome handles about two lakh passengers and around 1,300 flight movements every day.